Product: Teisco Lap Steel
Price Paid: US $20.00 used
Submitted
03/11/2001
at
06:15pm
by
Lou Coppolino
Email: axe4me<at>optonline dot net
Features
:
6
This is a strange one.
My Teisco lap steel is a blonde 6 string instrument with volume and tone beige pointer knobs that are mounted on top of what looks like a nickel bridge. When looking at it vertically, the lap steel looks like a blonde skyscraper with metal rails attached to the sides. The fretboard has orange,yellow,black,blue and geen marker dots.The open metal tuners with full metal buttons and stems are very strong. The enclosed pickup has what appears to be a cardboard like cover. It's a bit delicute and the wiring looks fragile, so I let my luthier do all the sprucing up on it. The Teisco logo on the headstock is also metal and attached with 4 single slot screws.
The builders were really on a budget with this campy beauty.
Sound
:
7
I'm an armchair lap steel player. Good enough for a few licks and ornimentation to a few tunes but that's it. When I bought this, I was thinking of a quirky David Lindley using the Teisco.
The Teisco tends to favor upper tone registers and is a little scratchy sounding. This is just what I wanted..yeah, it's strange, just like my playing. Anyway, it's not on the same tone level as my 1956 Gibson BR9 or 1938 Rickenbacher Model 59 lap steels...just different.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
7
I've been told my Teisco is from the mid 1050's. I'm surprised the electrical work has survived.
I rescued this misfit from a 10+ year stint inside a blue jean pant leg stuck at the bottom of a closet.
It was purchased by a sailor in the Pacific (I'm not making this up) and given to his sister in the late 1960's. She later gave it to her son (Wes) and he stuck it in the pant leg (whew).
Wes is a drummer/synthesist who bought some gear from me and owed me a $20.00 balance. He kindly offered me the Teisco to cover the balance. Who am I to say no. :>)
The Teisco stands proudly in my guitar room surrounded by many friends.
Reliability/Durability
:
7
It's a 40+ year old original.
The pickup sounds a bit scratchy but it's still playable.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Teisco......uh, anyone know their history?
Overall Rating
:
10
CAMPY, CAMPY AND CAMPY. I say that lovingly.
My luthier had a grin from ear to ear when he saw the Teisco.
Seeing this lap steel is like seeing those little cars that George Reeves drove in the 1950's Superman series. It's like.."what the heck is that?!!?"
This is my campy eyeopener.
